Brand building has shifted entirely. Traditional ads, once the primary vehicle for awareness and conversion, are losing their grip in a culture that prizes control, entertainment, and authenticity. Banner blindness, ad blockers, and streaming platforms have made it clear: people don’t want to be sold to. They want to be entertained, engaged, and emotionally invested.

This is the death of the ad—and the rise of the show.

Instead of buying attention, brands are learning how to earn it. They’re moving away from 30-second spots to episodic content, from product pitches to plotlines. Companies are no longer marketing to specific audiences—they’re building them. Brands are acting more like media companies, creator collectives, or mini-Hollywood studios, producing content that resonates not just for what it sells, but for how it makes people feel.

Why? Because attention is the most valuable currency in today’s economy. Competition is no longer direct competitors—it’s now Netflix, TikTok, MrBeast, and the dreaded, endless doom scroll.

In this new era of brand building, those who entertain will win. The rest? They fade into the skip button.

Why Traditional Ads Are Losing Power

Brand marketing hasn’t changed overnight, but the shift is undeniable. Traditional advertising, once the backbone of brand visibility and growth, is now struggling to stay relevant in a culture defined by choice, speed, and skepticism. Here’s why:

• Ad Avoidance Is The Norm: People are tired of ads. With the widespread use of ad blockers and growing banner blindness, people are automatically tuning out anything that even remotely looks like a sales pitch. Trust in brands is low, and modern consumers, specifically GenZ, are fluent in spotting inauthentic marketing. They won’t put up with it.
• On-Demand Media Has Replaced Linear Viewing: People no longer sit through commercials. They stream, skip, and scroll. Platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Netflix dominate attention spans, and ad-free subscriptions continue to rise. The days of buying prime-time attention are over.
• Audiences Crave Engagement, Not Interruption: The best content today is creator-led, interactive, and embedded in community. Passive consumption is out, active community connection is in. Brands that still rely on static ads are being outperformed by those who co-create, entertain, and embed into culture.

The bottom line? Traditional ads are built for reach. But today’s marketing requires resonance. And that means meeting audiences where they are, and engaging with them how they want to be engaged with.

What Is Branded Entertainment?

Since the dawn of time, humans have used stories to share knowledge, shape culture, and connect emotionally. From cave paintings to streaming series, storytelling has always been how we make meaning of life.

Branded entertainment taps into this timeless tradition, placing brands in the narrative before the marketplace. It’s a fusion that doesn’t disrupt. Brands that craft content or experiences that subtly inject their values, product, or mission into mediums that people search to watch, play, read, or listen to.

The most successful branded entertainment cases don’t feel like marketing—in fact, you might not even realize a large brand is behind the production. This type of branded content appears in all kinds of formats, whether it’s full-length films like The LEGO Movie, emotionally charged documentaries like Red Bull’s The Edge, or value-packed podcasts from Shopify, Deloitte, or BlackRock. Even social-first series like the Brooklyn Coffee Shop on Instagram prove that brands can build real audience connections through short-form content that people will spend time with. The goal is to entertain first and earn attention by building relevance, not promotion.

From selling to storytelling, this shift has given rise to different flavors of entertainment from brands. Depending on the audience and intent, brands aim to either entertain while informing, or educate while engaging. Let’s break down a few terms that you may have heard tossed around:

• Branded Content is any kind of content (video, podcast, substack, comic, or anything in between) that a brand creates to connect with an audience. It’s not about slapping a logo on something—the brand is part of the story itself, often woven in naturally as a key player behind the scenes.
• Infotainment mixes information with entertainment. Picture a mini-doc or a fun explainer series that pulls you in with a good story while teaching you something along the way.
• Edutainment takes this a step further—think more purpose-driven or educational. This is common in wellness, lifestyle, or B2B spaces where the brand acts more like a coach or expert, offering real insights while still keeping things engaging.

Formats Where Branded Entertainment Comes To Life

Similar to social media content, brands creating content crossing over from advertising to entertaining methodology isn’t confined to one medium. The strength of this marketing tactic lies in the ability to be flexible. Meet audiences where they already are, in formats they are familiar with and love. This can take the form of:

• Podcasts: An intimate, trust-building format, perfect for brands that want to share detailed insights, values, or human stories over time. Shopify’s entrepreneurial stories and Gatorade’s athlete interviews offer inspiration and alignment with the brand purpose, without feeling like a sales pitch to invest in the product or service. 
• Mini-Series & Films: Long-form narratives give brands space to go deep, emotionally, culturally and creatively. Just look at the aftermath of Barbie and The LEGO Movie. Not only are they ads in disguise, they are full-blown cinematic universes that reinforce brand identity while captivating mainstream audiences.
• Social-First Shows: On platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, episodic storytelling is allowing brands to engage in fast, culture-savvy ways. These formats are easily accessible to people commuting and going about their normal lives. Brands that nail this medium perform best when they create content that feels native to each feed: lightweight, relatable and easy to follow. A great example is the Brooklyn Coffee Shop series on Instagram, where a fictional café becomes a stage for humorous, low-lift, high-engagement content that subtly showcases products while building a loyal fanbase.
• Webtoons & Comics: For brands with rich story worlds or character-led narratives, visual storytelling formats like webtoons can build cult-like fandoms over time. Think of these mediums as a slow-burn, with high rewatch and reshare potential. 
• Docu-Style Storytelling: Real stories, real people, and real impact. Patagonia’s environmental series and RedBull’s The Edge documentaries tap into lived experiences and value-driven missions that align with each brand. They create an emotional resonance that feels more like journalism than marketing. 
• Games & Interactive Content: Gamified content is on the rise across social media platforms like TikTok. They build immersive experiences orchestrated by the brand as a world users are welcomed into. For example, LEGO’s entire game ecosystem lets the audience build, explore, and imagine—all while staying rooted in the brand’s DNA. 

Key Characteristics: What Makes It Work

No matter the format, branded entertainment is most effective when it follows a few core principles:

• Story-Driven at Heart: The narrative comes first—the brand doesn’t lead the story, it lives within it.
• Subtle, Seamless Product Integration: Products or services may appear, but they serve the story, not the other way around. The goal is resonance, not a hard sell.
• Values Over Visuals: Reflect what the brand stands for, not what it sells. It builds affinity through alignment with audience values like curiosity, creativity, wellness, sustainability, or empowerment. 

When done right, branded entertainment blurs the line between marketing and media, creating content that people don’t just tolerate, but actively choose or search to spend time with.

Brands Doing It Right

Social Shows

1. GANT’s New York Stories

GANT’s New York Stories isn’t just a subtle advertising campaign camouflaged as social media content. It’s a cinematic love letter to old money Manhattan and the golden age of American prep. Through a three-part narrative, “The Pseudo Prep,” “The Blazer Bandit,” and “The Procrastinator”, GANT crafts a short, cinematic journey that captures the essence of New York City’s timeless elegance. Each chapter weaves together elements of classic American sportswear with a modern twist, showcasing the brand’s ability to tell compelling stories through fashion.

GANT embodies their European roots and American prep legacy through cinematic storytelling that feels more like art than advertising. By focusing on a storyline that highlights the brand’s roots in Ivy League style and East Coast prep, the brand is able to position itself uniquely in the market. Rather than operating from a mindset of selling clothes, GANT sells a lifestyle, one that glorifies luxury and refined aesthetic of old-money New York.

This approach connects audiences to the brand on a deeper level, offering a narrative that resonates with those who appreciate the nuances of style and tradition. By prioritizing storytelling over direct promotion, GANT effectively reinforces its brand identity and appeals to consumers seeking authenticity and elegance in their wardrobe choices.

2. Brooklyn Coffee Shop

The fictional Brooklyn Coffee Shop series is a brand winning entertainment-led content. It’s so believable, many viewers thought the café actually existed. Through its Instagram episodes, the series turns everyday coffee shop chaos into hilarious, relatable moments that are made to be shared. By throwing audiences into awkward, ridiculous, and oddly comforting situations, it manages to spotlight coffee shop culture and products without ever feeling like an ad.

Another aspect that makes this brand’s content stand out is its use of consistent characters, quick-hit humor, and a fictional-yet-mainstream setting. It leans into the vibe of a real Brooklyn café, complete with quirky baristas and chaotic customers. All the while, it subtly integrates branded elements like drinks or merchandise into the background. It’s smart because it feels like something you’d stumble upon online—someone retelling a wild story or capturing a strange coffee shop interaction—not because it’s selling you something.

This series proves that you don’t need a massive production budget to pull off effective branded entertainment. When you create a world people want to return to and characters they grow fond of (in one way or another) audiences start building real connection and loyalty. It’s a masterclass in creating shareable, episodic content for the humor-hungry social viewer.

YouTube Long-Form Docuseries

1. Vogue

Vogue has many YouTube entertainment series, my favorites being, 73 Questions, Life in Looks, and Now Serving. These serialized pieces of content have become a masterclass in evolving their legacy media brand into a modern cultural curator. These aren’t your basic celebrity interviews—they’re stylized glimpses into the lives, quirks, and histories of public figures, wrapped in formats that are bingeable and share-worthy.

Whether it’s a rapid-fire walk-and-talk through a celebrity’s home (73 Questions), a nostalgic tour through their fashion archives (Life in Looks), or a sit-down meal with an unexpected twist (Now Serving), each series strives to pull back the curtain on public figures.

Notably, 73 Questions launched back in 2014, well ahead of the curve. At a time when most brands were still focused on traditional ads or editorial, Vogue recognized the power of entertainment as a long-term content strategy. In doing so, they helped pave the way for a new wave of press diversification, blurring the lines between journalism, entertainment, and marketing. This early move set the stage for a broader cultural shift we now see with viral formats like First We Feast’s Hot Ones and Amelia Dimoldenberg’s Chicken Shop Date, where storytelling, humor, and creativity lead the conversation, not product placement or PR soundbites.

What makes this example stand out today is that Vogue uses their series to expand far beyond fashion. While style remains the core of their visual language, the material dives into identity, legacy and lifestyle. Celebrities open up about insecurities, personal milestones and creative processes. This multi-dimensional approach humanizes some of the most famous figures and reshapes Vogue’s brand from fashion authority to cultural storyteller.

With sleek production, staple visual tone and subtle editorial cues, the brand has been able to build trust and intrigue not by selling clothes or magazines but by letting audiences feel like insiders to the world behind the gloss.

2. Architectural Digest

Architectural Digest has quietly built one of the most engaging content ecosystems on YouTube with series like Open Door, Small Spaces, and The Blueprint. Each show gives a different lens into how people live, design, and express themselves through space, spanning everything from stepping inside the jaw-dropping homes of celebrities, learning how creatives make the most of 400 square feet, or breaking down iconic architecture in pop culture.

Open Door in particular has become a cultural fixture. It invites audiences into the homes of A-listers to understand the personalities behind its admirable interior design. These are elevated tours, showcased as storytelling through space. What AD does so well is transform traditional shelter media into entertainment-first content that feels aspirational and deeply human. Their success proves that lifestyle media can thrive in new formats when it prioritizes curiosity, visual richness, and the lived-in details that make each story memorable.

AD has tapped into a YouTube generation while maintaining its editorial authority. It’s a prime example of how a heritage brand can expand its influence by creating experiences people want to watch and share, not scroll past.

3. YETI

YETI has carved out a unique lane in branded entertainment by producing high-end, cinematic documentaries that celebrate the wild, the rugged, and the communities that thrive within it. These aren’t quick-hit social videos or scrappy vlog-style recaps, they’re polished, atmospheric, and deeply intentional. Each film feels like a love letter to a lifestyle, with sweeping visuals, raw emotion, and storytelling that could easily live on the festival circuit. It’s a bold move in a world obsessed with short-form, but it works because YETI knows exactly who it’s speaking to: people who don’t just admire adventure—they live it everyday.

The films are batched across subcultures within the brand’s broader community such as fly fishing, culinary craft, mountain sports, surfing, hunting, and rodeo life. Each story taps into a different pocket of the outdoor world, yet they all orbit around the same values that YETI embraces: endurance, respect for nature, and the pursuit of mastery.

Rather than pushing products, YETI positions itself as a cultural documentarian of the wild. The brand earns credibility by elevating its subjects and letting the content breathe, proving that with the right storytelling, a brand can create cinema, not just content.

Podcasts

The podcast boom has become more than just another ad space. It’s a powerful storytelling tool. Brands are creating their own shows, using podcasts as an extension of their trust built with audiences, sharing their values in more detail and engaging deeper with their community.

1. Hackable?

McAfee’s Hackable? podcast stands out in the tech space by demystifying cybersecurity, a topic that’s complex, intimidating and easy to tune out without the magic of audio listening. The show has achieved over 920,000 downloads across 10 episodes and boasts a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts. Named “Best Branded Podcast” at the 10th Annual Shorty Awards.

Notably, 79% of listeners could identify McAfee as the sponsor, and 65% reported a higher opinion of the brand after listening, demonstrating the podcast’s effectiveness in brand building.

2. The Daily

The Daily, launched in 2017, has become a cornerstone of modern news consumption, attracting millions of listeners daily. In 2024, it was the most popular show on Apple Podcasts, and by 2025, it continues to lead in the podcasting space. While this show is a product of The New York Times and primarily a journalistic endeavor, it provides a more modern and interactive way for audiences to engage with the brand.

By offering digestible, compelling content in an accessible format, it transforms traditional journalism into an entertaining experience.

3. Inside Trader Joe’s

Inside Trader Joe’s podcast stands out as the dynamic intertwining of a grocery store brand and entertainment that is anything but expected. The shows’ authentic, behind-the-scenes approach to brand storytelling launched in 2018, well ahead of most retail brands entering podcasting. Listeners get a peek into the company’s culture, product decisions, and quirky charm through conversations with real employees.

Its approachable tone and transparency helped it quickly rise to No. 5 on the iTunes podcast charts. It’s a prime example of how relatability and genuine storytelling can turn a brand podcast into a loyal community-builder.

Strategic Shifts: How Brands Can Adapt

Branded entertainment is often heavily leaning on character development and culturally relevant stories. Characters like “Mayhem” and “Jake from State Farm” showcase how strong characters even in advertisements can create cultural relevance and lasting brand connections. True branded entertainment goes further: it places characters in standalone content like web series or podcasts, that audiences choose to watch, where the brand’s presence is subtle, not salesy. For brands to adapt, they need to move beyond interruptive ads and focus on creating immersive stories that people actively seek out and engage with.

To compete in the entertainment space, brands need to think (and hire) like content studios. That means bringing on writers, directors, and producers who understand storytelling, not just marketing. This internal strategic shift will build the foundation for branded content that resonates beyond a campaign cycle.

It also requires flipping the script: developing ideas from a community-first perspective rather than starting with a product. When content speaks to shared values or interests, the brand becomes part of a larger conversation, not the center of it.

Finally, platform-native thinking is essential. What works on TikTok won’t translate to YouTube, Instagram or podcasts. Brands must tailor format, tone, and pacing to each channel’s unique audience behavior. Once again, meeting people where they are, in the way they are eager to engage.

Measurement: Redefining Success in the Attention Economy

In the era of branded entertainment, traditional metrics like click-through rates (CTR) or impressions only scratch the surface. Today, success looks more like completion rates, average watch time, saves, shares, and cultural resonance. This signals that someone did more than just see your content—they chose to stay with it. In a world flooded with distractions, attention is the real currency, and earning it requires a shift in what we track and value.

Virality is tempting and leadership within your brand might be requesting it. It’s not (and should not) be the only measure of impact. A one-off viral hit might spike metrics, but it rarely builds long-term loyalty. What matters more is the blend of reach, resonance, and relevance. So when building out a branded entertainment strategy, look beyond the hype to measure how this kind of material builds connection and awareness over time.

Ultimately, the brands who’ve been in the entertainment marketing game for a long time are measuring for brand equity. Not campaign performance. Is your content truly shaping how your brand makes people feel? Is it deepening emotional connection, even if it doesn’t immediately drive a click? Branded entertainment plays the long game, like all smart strategies. Don’t silo your team into tracking how many people watch but, how many people care.

Challenges & Limitations

Marketing teams need to ask: What story are we uniquely positioned to tell—and why would anyone care? It’s not just about producing as much content as possible, it’s about building something that aligns with your brand’s DNA and delivers real (and extra) value to your audience. Entertainment without strategy is just noise.

Here are a few more challenges to consider:

• A beautifully shot film or viral skit means nothing if the audience can’t connect it back to your brand’s purpose or values. 
• The budget is a reality check. Great storytelling doesn’t always need blockbuster money but it does require investment in talent, time, and craft. Without it, the content risks feeling flat or forgettable. 
• There’s a fine line between subtle and invisible branding. If the brand is too loud, it feels like an ad and people will quickly try to tap out. Too quiet, and the audience forgets who made it. The sweet spot? Creating something worth watching because it’s from you—not in spite of it.

The Future of Brand Entertainment

As audience expectations evolve, so does the future of branded material and it’s becoming more interactive, intelligent, and community-powered than ever before.

Artificial Intelligence has opened the door to faster content creation and hyper-personalized narratives. From dynamic scripts to generative visuals, brands will soon be able to tailor entertainment at scale, producing stories that adapt to viewer behavior or even let the audience shape the plot. Think interactive series, playable brand moments, or storylines that evolve based on community input.

User-generated content and influencer co-creation are also pushing brands to become collaborators, not just creators. Future-forward brands will build with their audience, not talk at them. We’re already seeing this with fans remixing brand content on TikTok or influencers anchoring branded social shows. The smartest brands are leaning in, not fighting it.

Most importantly, we’ll see a shift from one-off campaigns to IP-building. Instead of reinventing the wheel every quarter, brands will invest in worlds, characters, and formats that can live across platforms and evolve over time. Think Barbie, not banner ads.

The Brand as the Showrunner

Most brands are still playing it safe. They’re still focused on running ads, chasing trends, and optimizing for clicks. But the brands that are breaking through, across film, social media, podcasting, are treating their advertising content like an universe, not a deliverable. They’re creating IP, not just assets. They’re showing up where audiences already are, with stories worth sticking around for.

Branded entertainment is a creative power move, and the opportunity is massive. If you want cultural relevance and lasting brand love, it’s time to stop thinking like a marketing department—and start thinking like a creator studio.

The post The Rise of Branded Entertainment: How Brands Became Storytellers, Not Sellers appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.

Commenting is not just a supportive gesture; it’s a strategic move. Whether you’re a solo creator, a startup, or a global brand, how and where you show up in comment sections can shape perception, build relationships, and expand your reach in ways a single feed post often can’t. 

Think of it this way: while posting is the backbone of social media, commenting is the connective tissue. The backbone gives your brand structure and presence, but without connective tissue, your strategy lacks mobility, flexibility, and connection. Comment sections have become where the real action happens—where conversations spark, relationships take root, and brands stop shouting into the void and start becoming a part of the culture. 

In this article, we’ll explore how commenting can serve as a core part of your social strategy—from the psychology behind it, to styles that work, to real-world winning examples of how brands use comments to win attention and affinity.

Why Commenting as a Brand Deserves a Seat at the Table

Many brands and creators overlook commenting, yet it’s one of the most high-impact, low-effort ways to grow visibility, build credibility, and stay culturally relevant. This makes commenting a scalable way to stay visible.

Commenting is simply another medium to get eyes on your brand without content creation burnout. Not every touchpoint with your audience needs to come from a feed post or paid social ad. Comments allow your brand to show up consistently without the heavy lift of production.

But it’s not just about visibility—there’s a technical advantage too. Most social platform algorithms reward accounts that interact meaningfully with others, especially those that contribute to active conversations. When brands consistently take these actions, their accounts stay algorithmically “warm”, increasing the chances of appearing in more feeds, explore pages, and recommended sections. 

Want your brand to embed itself in cultural moments fast? Commenting allows brands to creatively earn relevance in larger communities. You don’t need to own the conversation to benefit from it. That’s where most brands get stuck. Just being present in the right threads of comments can build association and strong exposure. This is crucial for smaller brands that are starting from scratch, as consistent, smart commenting can help build credibility in saturated, competitive social spaces.

Finally, reading and participating in viral comment sections is an opportunity for your brand to receive real-time insights into what your audience cares about. These discussions give you unfiltered access to your audience’s tone, interests, frustrations, and language. It’s an organic social listening tool at your fingertips. Here you can answer the questions:

• What questions show up repeatedly?
• What types of content or topics are sparking viral comment sections? 
• Whose comments are rising to the top, and what makes them stand out?
• What tone of voice is getting the strongest reactions—humor, bold takes, vulnerability, expertise?
• Are there gaps or questions going unanswered that your brand could step in and respond to?

Brands Are Being Summoned

More and more, creators are summoning brands to engage directly with their content with the expectation that they’ll respond in ways that are humorous, unhinged, chaotic, or entirely unexpected. It’s no longer strange to see a creator say, “@Duolingo, don’t be shy,” or bait a brand with a challenge, roast, or request of a niche meme. These are invitations, not just mentions. It’s performative, yes—but it’s also strategic.

Creators understand that a brand comment can spike their content’s visibility and drive attention. And in return, the brand gets a moment in the spotlight, too. It’s a win-win situation.

But even if your brand isn’t being summoned yet, that doesn’t mean you should wait to be invited. This style of interaction has become a crucial part of the entertainment value on social media, specifically on TikTok. The brands that earn engagement today are playing along, embracing personality, and proving they understand the nature of social.

POV: The Comment Is The Content

Still not sold on a commenting strategy? Here’s your proof. The brands seeing the most success on social media are not passively participating in conversations; they are becoming the content itself. One smart, funny, or unexpected comment can get screenshotted, stitched, or turned into an entire TikTok or meme, without your team lifting a finger.

This is organic brand exposure you simply can’t buy! If you can compel a user to amplify your voice with no buy-in, you’ve won! Strive to be the story, not another voice in the void.

The Psychology Behind Commenting

Social media isn’t just a broadcast channel, it’s a connection machine. At its core, it’s driven by three human impulses: connection, validation, and curiosity. That’s where commenting thrives.

Emotion is the currency of engagement. If your brand is commenting vaguely or without channel-native language, it won’t land. Comments that make people laugh, feel seen, or offer something useful cut through the noise. When a brand sparks an emotional nerve via humor, relatability, or insight, it’s more likely to stand out. When a witty comment comes from a brand, it hits harder. Why? Because most brands play it safe. So when one breaks character, or rather creates a strong one, it stands out even more. Extra points for Gen-Z fluent language. 

Give a little love in the comments and watch it come back tenfold. When a brand comments, it opens the door for others to engage back. People are wired to return favor and attention. A single, well-written comment can lead to likes, follows, DMs, or even loyal fans.

Familiarity breeds trust. A brand name consistently showing up strong in comment sections, across a select topic, or in viral internet moments, builds subtle but powerful recognition. Over time, your brand becomes a known voice, trusted for what you say and for being part of the conversation at all. 

Low-stakes, high-impact. Comments are small, low-lift actions that keep your brand top of mind, just by showing up where people are already paying attention. It strips away the formality and makes your brand feel human, not corporate. 

The Art of Commenting Across Channels

Not all social media platforms are created equal, and neither are comments. Commenting as a brand should be more than just reacting. It’s an easy strategic tactic to express a brand voice in order to build credibility and strengthen connections with audiences. The strongest strategies aren’t random; they’re intentional and platform-specific. 

Over the past year, brand accounts have increasingly taken the risk of showing up in the comments with casual, witty, sarcastic, even unhinged, remarks. What stands out is that many of these comments appear on content completely unrelated to the brand itself, often viral videos. This unexpected participation not only catches people off guard, but it also amplifies reactions, laughs, shares, and sometimes even headlines. But this approach isn’t quite groundbreaking. Wendy’s pioneered this tactic nearly a decade ago on Twitter, setting an early blueprint for brands to ditch stiff corporate speak in favor of humor, sass, and real-time banter. 

For years, Twitter was considered the main platform where brands had permission to loosen up, unlike Instagram or Facebook, which remained polished and promotional. That dynamic shifted when TikTok exploded. Its rise and Gen-Z-heavy audience rewired expectations across all social platforms, rewarding chaotic humor, relatability, personality, and quick cultural reactions.

But don’t be fooled, actively monitoring trending conversations and evolving social language takes real effort. Slang shifts fast, and cultural moments can disappear just as quickly as they emerge. The key is to identify spaces where your brand can show up naturally and add something to catch attention. Relevance doesn’t come from forcing your way into the conversation, it comes from speaking the way your audience already does.

The ROI of Commenting

A single strong comment can convert to a follow, start a conversation, or even lead to a sale. While some might think it’s just social small talk, it’s a strategy that has proven to drive real results for brands of any size.

Visibility That Converts

When your brand lands a top comment on a viral post and live comment section, you’re certain to get attention and earn exposure. The ripple effect is real: top comments often lead curious users to your profile, resulting in a measurable spike in profile views, video views, and ideally, followers. This kind of passive discovery is the modern version of word-of-mouth marketing. 

From Comments, to Conversations, to Customers

Engaging in the right comment sections, where your target audience lingers, can lead to unexpected business outcomes. Smart and/or humorous comments can be the gateway to genuine leads from people who had no idea your brand existed before. Whether someone witnessed your comment or was part of the conversation, the single action of commenting can shift perception. Suddenly, your product or service isn’t just a need; it’s a want. It’s low-cost, low-effort outreach that feels more authentic than traditional ads in today’s social environment. 

Algorithmic Momentum

Social platforms reward activity. That may sound overwhelming, however, this doesn’t always mean cranking out more high-quality feed posts. Activity includes meaningful engagement. When your brand appears in comment sections and evokes any kind of emotion, you’re fueling the algorithm with the kind of activity it runs on. This kind of “comment currency” keeps your profile warm and active, increasing the chances your future posts land in more feeds, Explore pages, and suggested follow lists. It’s organic visibility, without the paid boost.

Qualitative Wins That Compound Over Time

Beyond the metrics, consistent and powerful commenting strengthens brand perception. It humanizes the brand with personality, builds trust, and familiarity. Over time, you become known less for what you post and more for how you show up as a social consumer like everyone else.  

Pro tip: Track your top-performing comments the same way you would a feed post. Analyze patterns of strong likes, replies, profile visits, and any downstream engagement you likely source from a comment. This strategic tactic isn’t just PR or “extra credit” anymore; it’s part of your growth engine. 

Standout Brand Comments That Nailed It

So, which brand accounts are getting it right? Back in 2023, there were only a few—now in 2025, a lot of B2C and B2B brands alike have caught on. Through wit, chaos, or charm, these standout accounts prove that commenting can be a strategic art form. Let’s look at how Ryanair, Empire State Building, Sour Patch Kids, and Scrub Daddy have turned the comment section into their content playground.

The Irish ultra-low-cost airline group, Ryanair, has mastered the art of turning social media engagement into a brand-defining strategy. Their approach is marked by a bold, irreverent tone that resonates across platforms, particularly in the TikTok comment sections where their audience eagerly anticipates their witty reports.

This strategy is not accidental; it’s a deliberate effort to humanize the brand. By embracing a most often cheeky style, Ryanair has cultivated a loyal online following that appreciates their candidness and humor.

Ryanair was one of the first brands to take the risk of showing up in social conversations with bold, unapologetic humor. In doing so, they helped redefine how brands—especially airlines—show up online, setting the tone with edge, personality, and cultural fluency. Their team’s agility in responding to comments with timely and humorous replies sets them apart even more.

Ryanair is certainly not alone. The Empire State Building surprised audiences by abandoning its buttoned-up image for chaotic, meme-savvy replies, showing that even iconic institutions can win on social media when they tap into internet culture.

Sour Patch Kids delivers their signature sweet-and-sour personality in the comments, often responding directly to videos about their candy (or roasting competitors) with clever, bi-polar sass.

Scrub Daddy has mastered the art of creative intervention. They’ve jumped into comment sections about cleaning, competitors, or even totally unrelated content with sharp wit that drives visibility.

Whether they’re reacting to content about their product or inserting themselves in broader conversations, these brands have cracked the code: consistent, culturally fluent commenting builds community, buzz, and social power.

Commenting Etiquette and Mistakes to Avoid

Like most things in life, balance is key. Once you see the impact of commenting, it may be tempting to comment on every viral post you come across. But without intention, you can do just as much harm as good. Don’t be the brand that forgets: how you comment matters just as much as where—and how often—you do.

And when brands get it wrong, the internet talks back. Audiences are quick to call out brands, whether it be a tone-deaf comment, an off-brand attempt at humor, or a clumsy AI-generated reply. In some cases, users even create content specifically to bash brands with weak and out-of-touch comments. 

To avoid a PR misfire from a singular comment, here are six essentials to keep in mind to build and execute a successful commenting strategy:

1. Skip The Fluff: Generic comments like “Love this!” or a random list of emojis add zero value. If your brand doesn’t have something impactful to say, keep on moving. 

2. Don’t Hijack The Thread: Avoid dropping links or any self-promotional plugs. It’s a quick way to lose trust and feel like spam. 

3. Stay On-Brand: Comments are an extension of your brand voice—and a more intimate one at that. Chasing clout with off-brand language might grab attention, but lead to eroding long-term trust. 

4. Be Quick or Don’t Bother: Relevance has a quick shelf life. If you jump into a viral thread 3 days in, it makes your brand look behind. Be in the first 20 comments, or else your comment will get buried.

5. Know When To Sit Out: Just because something is happening, doesn’t mean it makes sense for your brand to jump in. Learn when to sit back and observe from the sidelines. 

6. Don’t Let AI Take Over: AI can be helpful, but soulless, irrelevant comments are brand kryptonite. Use AI to enhance your ideas, not replace human instinct. 

As brands navigate the do’s and don’ts of commenting, remember: each comment is a chance to build stronger connections and position your brand as a relatable voice in the community. 

Systems for Scalable Commenting

Commenting on social media doesn’t have to be chaotic and unorganized. Here are three smart systems to build in order to track effectiveness and scale:

1. Make commenting a daily habit.
   Spend 10–15 minutes each day engaging with key creators, niche communities, or meme hubs your audience would likely follow or engage with. Keep a live tracker of priority accounts and topics, and show up with intention. This small, consistent ritual increases your chances of high-impact visibility.

2. Use AI to scale without losing your voice.
   AI can help generate comment options in different tones, flag trending posts worth engaging with, or surface viral conversations in your niche. Think of it as your creative co-pilot—helpful for scale, not a replacement for human instinct. 

3. Assign ownership. Track impact.
   Like any other part of your content strategy, commenting needs a clear owner. Designate someone to lead the charge, ideally the most “tapped in” person on your team. Set specific goals (profile visits, DMs, shares, brand mentions) and track results over time. It’s a small effort with big potential returns.

Social Media Marketing Doesn’t Stop at the Feed

Brand voice in the comments is just as much a part of your brand’s social strategy as any feed post. Every reply is a chance to show personality, build recognition, and earn trust in a low-lift, high-reward way. 

Treat comments like mini-posts. If nothing else, be unexpected and funny. Start with one a day, and watch how showing up smartly in comment sections drives powerful results.

The post Commenting As a Social Media Strategy appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.

Over recent years, the brand has emerged as a market leader through four pivotal strategies: revolutionizing the ordinary into luxury, social media mastery, immersive retail experiences and sustainability to drive competitive edge. This blog examines how each strategy fuelled Dyson’s brand evolution, cementing its status as a symbol of innovation and sophistication in the home appliance, beauty, and broader tech industries.

Revolutionizing the Ordinary into Luxury

Product Design

At its core, Dyson is a household appliance brand – ordinary and uninspiring. They have a simple mission: “Solve the problems that others ignore.” But how did this brand manage to evolve mundane products into coveted, high-tech innovations?

Renowned now for its cutting-edge technology and sleek design, Dyson has redefined the aesthetics of household appliances, manufacturing them to be objects of desire. This shift began with a deliberate effort to physically reimagine product design.

Dyson’s engineers adopted a “form follows function” philosophy, ensuring every color, material and finish not only celebrated functionality but elevated visual appeal. From the transparent cyclone tech in vacuums to minimalist, futuristic bladeless fans and hair dryers, every product embodies a commitment to efficiency with modern architecture. 

The driving mentality behind this particular success is Dyson’s relentless investment in physical innovation. By merging engineering excellence with standout design, Dyson has shattered expectations of how household appliances can look and, more strikingly, what they feel like.

Dyson pours an impressive £9 million per week into research and development (R&D) and plans to double its product range by 2025 with a £2.7 billion investment. That’s nearly half of its profits reinvested into innovation, showcasing an intentional commitment to pushing technological boundaries. 

This isn’t just about tweaking existing products; it’s about reimagining what’s possible. These cases illustrate Dyson’s relentless pursuit of innovation in product design.

1. Household Appliance Sector: Dyson V15 Detect Vacuum

Dyson’s most intelligent and powerful vacuum, featuring laser dust detection to reveal hidden debris, Acoustic Dust Sensing to measure and count microscopic particles, and advanced anti-tangle technology. These features provide scientific proof of a deep clean, making it a leader in home cleaning innovation.

2. Beauty Tech Sector: Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler

The Airwrap revolutionized hair styling by using the Coanda effect to style hair without extreme heat, reducing damage while achieving professional results. Its versatility with multiple attachments and intelligent heat control has set a new standard in beauty technology, making it a status symbol for consumers seeking both performance and protection.

3. Wearable Tech Sector: Dyson Zone Headphones with Air Purification

Combines high-fidelity audio with advanced air purification technology, tackling urban challenges like noise pollution and poor air quality. Its detachable visor delivers purified air while maintaining comfort, making it a groundbreaking wearable device for health-conscious urban dwellers.

From AI and robotics to cutting-edge new battery tech, global R&D centers are reshaping the future of beauty tech, household appliances and wearable tech. These efforts have proven to propel Dyson ahead of the curve while delivering smarter, more sustainable solutions for customers.

Premium Pricing

While a brand’s progression into luxury is a multifaceted approach, premium pricing alludes to the scarcity, quality, status and all around feeling of exclusivity that luxury brands offer customers.

Dyson has committed to a pricing strategy that sets them apart from competitors, positioning products as premium items that deliver high-end value. Here are five examples of how Dyson products level up from their rivals.

Dyson vacuums are priced between $300 and $1,050, with flagship models like the Dyson V15 Detect retailing for $750. In comparison, Shark vacuums range from $100 to $500, and other brands like Tineco offer similar features for as low as $300, making Dyson’s top-tier models costing up to double or triple the price of competitors. 

Famed Dyson beauty products, such as the Supersonic hair dryer ($569), Airwrap multi-styler ($599) and Airstrait straightener ($499) are priced significantly higher than competitors like the Shark FlexStyle, which retails for $299-$330 – a difference of up to 100%. 

Dyson’s breakout wearable tech, Zone air-purifying headphones, are priced at approximately $949. This is significantly higher than standard noise-canceling headphones from brands like Sony or Bose, which typically range from $300 to $400. Expensive pricing leans on the product’s unique combination of air purification and audio technology, setting it in a niche category.

The brand’s pricing strategy is not just about charging more to label themselves as luxury; it’s rooted in solving real, often-ignored problems with radical engineering. The bagless vacuum cleaner addressed the frustrating loss of suction that plagues traditional vacuums. The bladeless fan reimagined home cooling by eliminating fast-spinning blades, making it safer and easier to clean.

Even the air-purifying headphones, a product few asked for, tackle rising urban air pollution and noise, simultaneously mending two invisible stressors of modern life. These aren’t just gadgets; they’re solutions to everyday problems that most brands never thought to solve directly.

What sets Dyson apart is its relentless pursuit of groundbreaking ideas through rapid prototyping and iterative design. Challenging conventional designs and delivering disruptive solutions has solidified Dyson’s reputation as a leader in technological innovation and justifies their stance on premium pricing.

Dyson also leverages exclusivity to reinforce its luxury status. By avoiding discount-driven promotions and maintaining controlled distribution through its website and Demo stores, Dyson ensures that purchasing its products feels like an exclusive experience. This strategy appeals to affluent consumers who prioritize quality and innovation over cost savings.

Curated customer experiences further supports the brand’s pricing. Customers don’t just buy an appliance. They buy into a brand that promises excellence in tech, reliability, and exclusivity.

The Glow-Up Strategy: Aspirational Social Marketing That Clicks

While product design transformed appliances into status symbols, their aspirational marketing approach elevated these products further by framing them as engineering and design masterpieces. If Dyson could make vacuums become embraced as sleek, high-performance objects of desire, they could bridge the gap between functionality and luxury across their roster of other products.

Typically, feeding consumer desire is a strategy reserved for industries like jewelry, beauty, or automotive, not household appliances. Yet Dyson has defied convention, proving that even the most mundane products can become a dream when strategically marketed this way.

Aspirational marketing goes beyond solving a problem. It taps into who consumers want to be. Dyson doesn’t just promise cleaner floors; it sells the idea of elevated living through engineering excellence. This mirrors the strategy often seen in luxury automotive ads, where performance meets status symbolism. By positioning its products as lifestyle upgrades, Dyson makes people forget their problems and crave the feeling of a life that looks as good as it feels.

Much like beauty brand strategies, Dyson’s social media strategies promote a feeling. Visual storytelling mirrors emotional arcs; think before-and-after reveals, glowing testimonials, and creator content that blends utility with allure. It’s less, “Here is our product you should buy,” and more, “Don’t you want to feel like this?”

A prime example of this is the viral Dyson Airwrap. While a hair tool at its core, the social campaign surrounding it felt like a launch of a brand new beauty essential. The keyword there? Essential.

The social storytelling made the audience feel like they needed this tool. Tutorials from influencers, dramatic styling transformations, and sleek, editorial-style content helped position the Airwrap as not just effective but desirable. It gave everyday people access to salon-level results at home, just as a premium foundation promises professional-grade skin, or a fragrance promises confidence in a bottle.

Dyson invests heavily in user-generated content, influencer collaborations, and educational videos that feel personal, not pushy. The message is consistent: “We know our audience is smart and selective – so we’ll show, not tell.” This content strategy leans into trust, not hype, positioning real users and creators as the storytellers. And it works.

Viral social media marketing campaigns for products like the Airwrap and Supersonic hair dryer have only amplified this methodology. These launches are more than product drops; they’re multi-platform storytelling moments, designed to communicate the innovation behind each product in ways that feel aspirational yet grounded.

If you scroll through Dyson’s social feeds or listen to a handful of clips, you’ll notice how effortlessly both customers and brand voices explain the products’ value. The benefits are articulated in simple, human terms: faster drying, less heat damage, salon-quality results at home.

By partnering with influencers, showcasing real-world transformations, and emphasizing the ease of design benefits – like faster drying with less heat damage – Dyson crafts a narrative that resonates. Its storytelling with substance turns functional features into emotional value. Over time, this approach doesn’t just build hype; it builds credibility, transforming satisfied customers into vocal brand advocates and fueling viral growth through authenticity.

This social strategy built trust, desire, and community. Despite its $500+ price tag, the Dyson Airwrap sold out globally, with waitlists at Sephora and Ulta exceeding 100,000 people. On TikTok alone, #DysonAirwrap has amassed over 2.9 billion views, fueled by influencer tutorials, viral dupe debates, and everyday users sharing real results. 

According to Influenster reviews, user-generated content and peer recommendations held more sway than traditional ads, proving that authentic storytelling was the engine behind conversion. Dyson didn’t need to shout. By showing instead of selling, the brand turned functional design into an aspirational lifestyle – and its customers into advocates.

Experiential Marketing: How Dyson Creates Immersive Customer Experiences

While Dyson’s digital presence builds desire, its immersive retail strategy seals the deal. The brand’s demo stores and immersive pop-up experiences invite customers to interact with products firsthand—test-driving vacuums on various surfaces or styling their hair with expert guidance using the Airwrap and Supersonic. These spaces aren’t just showrooms—they’re sensory playgrounds designed to turn product education into a luxury experience.

Dyson’s in-store specialists function more like consultants than salespeople, offering personalized demos, styling sessions, and tailored recommendations. This community-centric service deepens brand trust, making customers feel supported, not sold to. In a category often driven by specs and utility, Dyson creates a retail journey that feels premium, human, and undeniably memorable.

All of these touchpoints – from hands-on demos to consultative service – reinforce a sense of care, expertise, and quality that builds trust beyond the transaction. That trust becomes loyalty, with customers returning not just for the product, but for the elevated experience that comes with it.

Green Marketing: Sustainability To Drive Competitive Edge

Dyson’s board and sustainability team drive the brand’s long-term focus on sustainable engineering and energy efficiency. Their design philosophy prioritizes longevity, incorporating durable materials, efficient digital motors, and easily replaceable parts to reduce waste over time.The company aims to be fully carbon neutral across operations and its supply chain by 2030, aligning with the escalating consumer demand for eco-conscious brands. From recyclable packaging to product pages that spotlight sustainability wins, Dyson ensures that progress is made and shared.

Green marketing is subtly weaved into short-form video language, copywriting and overall brand product storytelling. Innovations like the Airblade hand dryer exemplify this, using up to 87% less energy and producing 85% less CO₂ than traditional alternatives.

Dyson’s design ethos of “doing more with less,” highlights products that are both high-performance and resource-efficient. By framing sustainability as a core value, not an add-on, Dyson builds trust and positions itself as a forward-thinking, environmentally responsible brand.

Wrapping Up (Literally) Dyson’s Brand Story

Dyson’s journey shows us what’s possible when smart design meets smart storytelling. The success of a brand depends on both elements working together; neither can thrive without the other. This isn’t just a brand that makes vacuums or hair tools – it’s a brand that has reimagined everyday products into objects people actually get excited about.

Through sleek innovation, immersive retail, and marketing that feels human, Dyson has managed to make tech feel sexy. Marketing efforts make customers believe buying Dyson products is a strong investment towards a smarter future, both for themselves and the planet.

In a world full of endless options, Dyson stands out by making the ordinary feel extraordinary and by turning customers into loyal fans who keep coming back for more.

The post The Evolution of Dyson: a Marketing Case Study appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.

The employee.

What is Employee-Generated Content?

Employee-Generated Content (EGC) is the new driving force of influence in 2025. This revolutionary social media marketing approach can be defined as a form of content created by a company’s current employees. The material gives audiences a more engaging look at company culture, workplace experiences, and employee perspectives on the brand’s product or service.

What might come to mind first are employee contributions via company blog posts, articles and/or long-form, video testimonials. But, brands have more flexibility to lean into EGC than they might think. The marketing methods that drive real success with their EGC efforts often win by showcasing employee personalities on their socials.

Short-form, personalized videos, styled like classic YouTube vlogs, are highly engaging options. These can be serialized as “A Day in the Life” or “Behind-the-Scenes” content, shared across both personal and brand accounts.

A misconception is that brands need to force employees to participate and be the face of the company’s brand on social media. Truthfully, it doesn’t have to work this way at all. While these initiatives can be internally spear-headed for a brand (with those who volunteer), there is an entirely other realm of EGC to consider and encourage: the personal brands of your employees.

You may be shocked by how many working individuals create content in their free time, directly and/or indirectly, about their experiences at specific companies or industries. By recognizing and nurturing this organic content creation, companies can unlock a wealth of opportunities to enhance their brand image and attract both customers and top talent.

Why Your Brand Needs to Implement EGC Into a Content Marketing Strategy

Employees are the lifeblood of any brand. They serve as the living, breathing manifestation of a company’s identity, playing a crucial role in shaping both internal culture and external perception. So why not use them to enhance your brand marketing?

Businesses that choose to capitalize on the power of EGC in their marketing strategy experienced a notable 27% surge in online engagement and a substantial 19% increase in sales during the first year. These findings underscore the profound impact of employee advocacy on expanding a brand’s reach and enhancing its credibility, which is necessary in the marketplace now more than ever. 

The advantages of embracing employees in your content marketing strategy extend far beyond these impressive statistics. Let’s explore the multifaceted benefits that make EGC a game-changer in modern marketing.

Builds Trust & Authenticity

In spite of traditional company beliefs, employee perspectives compose a more authentic image of the company culture and core values. To the audience, the narrative about a company is more realistic and less performative when it’s shared by an “insider” on their own terms.

People are 3x more likely to trust company information if it’s coming from an employee. Voices coming from inside an organization help brands meet the demand for authenticity in an increasingly skeptical marketplace. You’ve probably heard this phrase time and time again, but it still rings true: People want to buy from people. 

This principle expands beyond consumer behavior to the broader marketplace, where individuals (especially GenZ) increasingly demand real connections with the brands they give time and money to. If a brand is actively displaying a real employee experience, they’re able to cultivate a deeper sense of trust and credibility with their audiences.

In a time where skepticism is raging, creating more brand authenticity is crucial to develop customer relationships and loyalty, as consumers are drawn to brands that reflect their values, interests, and beliefs. Ultimately, organizations that embrace and promote genuine voices from within will not only enhance their reputation but also thrive in an environment that demands transparency and sincerity.

Humanizes The Brand

The need to humanize a brand is not a new concept. Traditionally, marketers might use live-streaming, visual branding, user-generated content, and/or personalized email marketing in an attempt to illustrate the human elements behind a brand.

While those tactics certainly work to a degree, EGC accomplishes this goal much more effectively and creatively. Employee voices and experiences molded into a content marketing strategy that are also encouraged to be shared externally, inherently allow a brand to appear more relatable, approachable and genuine.

As these employees share their exposure to a company or industry – via comedic skits or heartfelt narratives – they’re creating a sense of transparency that resonates with audiences. People absorbing this content either relate to the experience, aspire to connect with it, or simply find themselves captivated by the situation, even if they’re not directly involved.

Essentially, employee content functions as a peer review. This is evident in the fact that 54% of consumers trust online peer reviews first, outweighing opinions of friends and family (24%) and company claims (18%). 

Attracts Top Talent

The competition to recruit top talent in any industry is intensifying. Employee-generated content has emerged as a powerful differentiator, enabling companies to showcase their company culture and values executed in real life, serving a dual purpose: help organizations initially stand out amongst competitors and serve as the deciding factor for candidates in the final stages of the hiring process.

Through EGC, potential candidates gain real insights into the company culture, allowing them to assess if that culture aligns with their own values and career aspirations. This unfiltered view offers a window into the day-to-day life of current employees, the collaboration within teams, leadership dynamics, and overall work environment. This material provides job seekers with a clearer understanding of what it’s like to be a part of the organization.

The impact of this content marketing approach is not to be diluted, with 88% of candidates saying employer branding influences their decision to apply. This branding ideology naturally extends to social media, where its influence is even more pronounced due to the evolution (and domination) of social search. 

At the end of 2024, a striking study found that 79% of job seekers use social media platforms when conducting their job search. Brands need to view these transformative channels as critical touchpoints for potential candidates during the recruitment process. 

Companies who effectively leverage their employee voices on social media position themselves at a significant advantage by harnessing EGC across social platforms, not only to attract attention but make an attempt at winning the race for the best talent for their teams.

Increases Brand Awareness & Refine Reputation

According to Linkedin Business Research, an employee network has 10x more connections than organizations have followers. With these large employee networks, brands can strategically encourage and harness their power to enhance brand reach and refine reputation. 

Employee-generated content gets shared 24x more than branded content. Let that sink in. Unlike traditional employee advocacy, which relies on employees to share pre-approved company messages, EGC empowers employees to create content in their own unique way. 

Airlines have effectively leaned into EGC to combat negative public sentiment and enhance their reputations. United Airlines, Delta, and Emirates have strategically incorporated employee voices into their social media strategies, countering scrutiny over customer service issues and safety concerns.
This approach has proven particularly powerful for the airline industry, where public perception can rapidly shift based on isolated incidents. Let’s quickly explore three impactful employee-generated content social pieces implemented by these airlines.

United Airlines’ witty lip-sync skit captures the universal boarding experience, humorously portraying the shared struggles of passengers cramming carry-ons into overhead bins and flight crew’s urgency to expedite the process. This relatable content cleverly transforms a common travel frustration into a comedic moment, creating camaraderie between passengers and airline staff. 

Delta’s rotating lip-syncing female staff, from engineers to pilots, creatively highlights the diverse careers held by women within the company in celebration of Women’s History Month. The bold and sassy tone of the trending audio (at the time of publishing), not only underscores Delta’s commitment to empowering women in the aviation industry but also challenges traditional gender norms in a field historically dominated by men. 

By showcasing real employees happy in their expert roles in an engaging and relatable way, Delta reinforces its role as a leader in promoting diversity and inclusion while inspiring the next generation of women to pursue careers in aviation.

The Emirates example offers an educational yet fascinating behind-the-scenes look at their aircraft maintenance operations. The video follows an airline engineer, providing an immersive journey from a vast hangar facility to intricate aircraft inspections. EGC social concepts like this unveil the expertise of employees and the complex world of the aviation industry. 

Emirates simultaneously addresses safety concerns and commitment to technological advancements via this form of EGC. The airline reinforces passenger confidence and demonstrates an industry-leading position in aviation innovation.

These airlines have strategically implemented EGC, each with a unique approach, to powerfully enhance brand awareness and refine their reputations. The critical takeaway is that EGC isn’t merely a crisis management tool; it’s a proactive strategy for success.

Consistently showcasing company culture and values through authentic employee voices builds a foundation of trust and transparency, differentiating brands in a competitive market and creating a resilient public image. Proactive EGC implementation establishes relatability with audiences that can often withstand potential future PR crises.

Serves as Cost-Effective Marketing Method

EGC offers dual advantages: it’s both budget-friendly and streamlines the content creation process more effectively. Whether employees contribute to brand content or independently create personal narratives about their careers, the cost savings for brands can be significant.

Consider the popular alternative for personable content creation: influencer marketing can be very costly with up to 20% of U.S. companies spending anywhere from $11,000 to $500,000 on campaigns. This type of content creation can get expensive with external, high-end production houses or third-party agencies involved. 

However, employees are already living and breathing your brand values. As creators, they require less time for briefings, revisions, and overall mindset adaption. When employees become presenters of social media messaging, they can more efficiently create content that aligns with the brand’s purpose and goals. This insider perspective not only saves money but results in more authentic, relatable content.

Amplifies Employee Expertise & Professional Growth

Employee-generated content also benefits the employee as an individual. Becoming a voice of expertise, relatable personalities, or industry insiders, employees have the potential to gain the following key advantages:

• Personal brand development and career advancement
• Increased job satisfaction and company recognition
• Leadership roles and cross-departmental collaborations
• Skill development in social media and content creation
• Networking opportunities with industry professionals and management
• Enhanced credibility and visibility in professional networks

EGC allows a medium for employees to show their expertise and creativity, potentially leading to recognition as thought leaders in their fields. This skill alone can open many doors. Employees who embrace the opportunity to participate in brand content or boldly share their insights on personal social channels are making a powerful investment in their professional growth and future career success.

How EGC Thrives on Linkedin: Executive-Led Marketing

LinkedIn is a game changer for working professionals dipping their toes into content creation, with or without the intention of promoting their company brand. Additionally, the platform has revolutionized how professionals can share their career journeys, experiences, and expertise. Here, they can expand their networks and establish themselves as thought leaders in their industries. 

The impact of this type of EGC is significant: nearly 75% of decision-makers consider an organization’s thought leadership content more trustworthy for assessing capabilities than traditional marketing materials. This underscores just how beneficial employee personalized voices can be for a brand’s credibility and influence.

When reading content on LinkedIn from an individual, it’s natural to associate them with their employer. Consequently, the sentiment and value of an employee’s content is inherently linked to the brand they represent. Let’s dive into two compelling examples of executive-led B2B marketing on the platform, examining their distinct approaches to EGC.

ServiceNow: Bill McDermott

Bill McDermott, Chairman and CEO of ServiceNow, consistently creates thought-provoking content on his personal Linkedin channel. He masterfully blends visionary confidence with relatable authenticity, seamlessly fusing a professional tone with personal charisma. This approach creates a powerfully influential voice that cements his position as a preeminent thought leader across both business and technology sectors. McDermott strategically comments on these four key themes:

1. Transformative Company Events, Milestones, and Success Stories: Discusses company insights to highlight rapid growth and industry recognition 
2. Cutting-Edge Insights on Tech Innovations and Business Trends: Analyzes and contributes his ideology behind AI and digital business transformation 
3. Shaping His Career Legacy: Illustrates leadership principles through personal stories of resilience and success
4. Universal Empowerment for Personal & Professional Growth: Offers encouraging messaging and distinct perspective on universal concepts

McDermott’s Linkedin presence is a strong demonstration of positioning oneself as a thought leader who articulates complex technological concepts and business strategies in an engaging manner. This reinforces his credibility as an industry leader and creates deeper audience connections while exemplifying EGC that indirectly markets ServiceNow, the company he leads.

OKCOOL: Jolyon Varley

Jolyon Varley, Co-founder of OKCOOL, has captured the essence of EGC with his daily Linkedin content. His edgy delivery and cheeky brand voice stand in stark contrast to the conventional, buttoned-up tone prevalent on the platform, effectively engaging his audience. Varley strategically comments on these three key themes:

• Social and cultural trends in creative branding:
  • Analyzes cutting-edge campaigns from brands around the globe
  • Explores the delicate balance between counterculture and youth energy
  • Offers insights into emerging cultural movements influencing brand strategies
• His raw entrepreneurial journey:
  • Shares personal experiences of founding and growing a company
  • Discusses challenges and triumphs in the startup ecosystem
  • Provides valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders
• Thought-provoking, inspirational substance:
  • Crafts universally motivating material that resonates across industries
  • Addresses broader themes of personal growth and professional development
  • Encourages followers to build their own personal brands 

Varley stands out as a creator who signifies EGC with his sharp, snappy delivery of trailblazing ideas, which dynamically redefines perspectives of his industry and embodies the mission and values of his company, OKCOOL.

Gen Z’s TikTok: A Playground for Employee Voices

TikTok is a direct line to Gen Z, which is crucial for brands to incorporate into their social media marketing strategies to effectively reach and engage consumers. This specific generation wields significant power and influence over brands due to their large population, digital fluency, and strong emphasis on authenticity and social responsibility. EGC embedded into TikTok content is a must for brands that want to speak to these potential consumers in their own language.

For more justification, social material from employee advocates can generate 8 times more engagement than branded material. Additionally, some EGC posts on the platform have achieved engagement rates of up to 35%, significantly outperforming the industry benchmark of around 1.4%. 

This aligns with the growing preference for authentic, relatable content from generations outside of GenZ as well. In fact, 50% of social/video platform users are looking for “content that mirrors their lives,” which EGC encompasses seamlessly.

Here’s how to start and some examples:

• Build Recognizable Faces – Showcase real employees to humanize your brand.
• Leverage Parasocial Relationships – Lean into Gen Z’s emotional investment in one-sided digital connections where viewers feel they know your featured employees. 
• Serialize Brand Narratives – Develop storylines around your employees, similar to characters in a TV series, to keep viewers invested and eager for more content. 
• Satisfy the BTS (Behind-the-Scenes) Craving – Offer glimpses into company culture, how employees interact in their roles, and different employee personalities to feed Gen Z’s curiosity.
• Tap into the Domination of Comedic Voice – Use humor as a magnet to draw people in. Jump on trending audio/music, chaotic memes, and relatable scenarios to create shareable content that resonates with Gen Z’s experiences in real life. 
• Engage Customers with Product Knowledge – Take advantage of employees having a strong understanding of your product to simultaneously entertain potential consumers while educating them on its value.

The Jennifer Hudson Show exemplified this point by launching a social media series that features guests walking through a tunnel of employees who creatively compose jingles tailored to the guest star’s name or promotional project. This engaging approach not only highlights employee creativity but also enhances the overall guest experience, making it memorable and shareable. To top it off, they have serialized these content pieces, collecting them in a playlist on the brand’s profile titled, “Spirit Tunnels.” 

ClickUp has made their TikTok channel a space for all things corporate humor. ClickUp’s social media strategy brilliantly capitalizes on workplace stereotypes and interdepartmental dynamics. Their content humorously exaggerates the contrasts between Sales and Marketing professionals, or the overzealous participation of HR and IT in company-wide meetings. 

The brand’s “Olympics” skits cleverly spotlight role-specific challenges, such as a project manager’s struggle to resist over-communicating across multiple channels. This approach not only entertains their TikTok audience but subtly underscores ClickUp’s value proposition as a streamlined, cloud-based project management solution that addresses these common workplace pain points.

SheerLuxe took on the trending format of Gen Z employees writing scripts for leadership to read off, emphasizing how confused and silly they sound. This concept not only highlights the generational divide in communication styles but also humorously illustrates the stark disconnect between traditional corporate language and contemporary slang. 

Unlock the Power of EGC: A Win-Win For Brands and Teams

In essence, employee-generated content is a strategic powerhouse in brand marketing. It brings fresh perspectives that drive business results and attract new customers while nurturing authenticity, boosting brand awareness, and enhancing employee engagement and professional growth. One thing is true about social media, it moves fast. Brands that quickly adapt to shifting trends and customer expectations for personalized communication and targeting online will be the ones dominating their spaces.

The post Complete Guide to Employee-Generated Content appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.

These brand-driven communities are not just about physical activity; they’re about facilitating social experiences that feed humans’ craving for authenticity, meaningful relationships, sense of belonging, and shared purpose. While various types of physical events can support community building, fitness and wellness experiences stand out as the most potent catalyst for generating genuine brand loyalty, reshaping social interaction, and driving stronger connections as evidenced by the impact of fitness-focused brand communities.

What is “Community” in 2025?

The term “community” is due for an upgrade. The formative concept was significantly tied to geographical proximity, mutual interest, cultural heritage, shared governance, religious beliefs, and natural resources. Universally, these early communities were characterized by strong social bonds, face-to-face interactions, and deep commitment to their values.

What powered the unification of people into communities was a primal need for self-reliance and autonomy, crucial for survival. Groups of people that did not sustain a healthy relationship with local resources did not last long.

After nearly a quarter of the 21st century, community is defined much differently, thanks in large part to technology. People now experience digital-physical hybrid communities as a result of seamless integrated online and offline experiences, technology-enabled real-time interactions, and global connectivity that transcends geographical locations.

Here are the defining aspects of community in 2025:

In the last decade, brands have leaned heavily into how technology can be a driving force in creating modern-day communities. Online platforms became the primary medium for building and sustaining connections, replacing in-person interactions. Social media and other digital platforms dominated communal experience.

In 2024, 76% of internet users actively participated in online communities, signaling a significant shift towards digital. This trend is primarily driven by the unparalleled convenience and global connectivity that digital spaces offer, enabling instant, borderless communication and community engagement. 

However, the pendulum is swinging back. Despite the convenience of digital platforms, people are recognizing the irreplaceable value of in-person connections. These recent trends are manifesting in modern dating as well, with a growing desire for authentic, face-to-face relationships.

A 2024 survey revealed that 73% of singles expressed a strong preference for meeting potential partners in person rather than online. This shift is further evidenced by the rising popularity of in-person dating events, which offer a blend of first-date-like conversations and bar-like mingling, allowing attendees to form deeper connections while easily transitioning between interactions. 

As people increasingly recognize that virtual interactions alone cannot fully satisfy our innate need for physical human connection, this trend has significant implications. So why is this shift important for brands in 2025?

The Power of Physical Brand Communities

Today’s top-leading brands understand the multi-dimensional perspective of community needed to stand out in the marketplace and impact culture. This shift has compelled them to elevate their community-driven strategies by launching physical, in-person activations.

By creating tangible experiences, brands are able to 1) transform potential and current customers into loyal community members via anatomical benefits; 2) tap into the psychology of social identity; 3) and nurture authentic relationships that digital platforms only scratch the surface of.

First, here are some unique anatomical benefits of physical brand communities:

1. Sensory Engagement: According to a study by VML Intelligence, 63% of consumers crave multisensory brand experiences, and 72% desire new experiences that engage as many of their senses as possible. Physical experiences activate multiple senses simultaneously, creating more vivid and memorable interactions. When it’s real, it sticks. 
2. Oxytocin Release: Face-to-face interactions trigger the release of oxytocin, often called the “cuddle hormone” and “morale molecule,” which promotes trust and social bonding. Studies indicate that oxytocin levels can increase by 47% during in-person social interactions.

When consumers develop a profound anatomical and emotional response from brand-driven experiences, they’re significantly more likely to internalize them as a component of their personal identity. How people view themselves is powerful, and brands need to tap in. Understanding the psychology behind the internalization is a crucial factor in the power behind a brand’s decision to build a physical community.

Social identity in community is built on categorization, shaping self-perception through shared values and norms. This involves both emotional and functional connections, often strengthened by comparing the “in-group” to others, boosting self-esteem and solidifying long-term membership. Ultimately, once brand-driven communities have locked themselves into some fraction of people’s identities, they’re one massive step closer to creating a loyal customer base that not only makes repeated purchases but becomes brand advocates.

This identity-centric consumption manifests in various ways: consumers make purchases that align with their self-concept, use products to extend their identity, balance group affiliation with individuality, and prefer brands that match their self-image. They also use purchases to facilitate identity transformations, express values, support personal narratives, and communicate their identity to others. These patterns underscore how deeply intertwined consumer behavior is with self-perception and social identity.

By leveraging the principles of social identity theory and tapping into the innate human desire for connection, brands are fostering stronger emotional bonds with their customers and cultivating a thriving, engaged community that extends far beyond mere transactions.

The final benefit of brands facilitating tangible experiences is authenticity. This word has been a huge buzzword after the last few years, but are brands really fulfilling the concept? Brands with physical communities are on the right path.

Brand-created physical communities and experiences are playing a crucial role in creating true brand authenticity and helping individuals make authentic connections with others. These interactions provide a tangible dimension to brand values, allowing customers to experience and embody the brand’s mission in real life.

The Health Meta

We’re in a new Zeitgeist, defined significantly by the health meta. What is it? Why is it important to brand evolution? Why should brands outside of the fitness/wellness space consider leaning in?

The health meta is a holistic and integrative approach to understanding health and wellness that goes beyond traditional medical models. Principles of this concept include the mind-body connection, biological intelligence, root-cause diagnosis, neuroscience understanding, personalized approaches, and holistic well-being and empowerment.

The health meta concept is gaining significant traction in 2025. Health is no longer just a necessity; it’s evolving into a spectrum of lifestyle choices. We’re witnessing:

1. Health as a Hobby: For some, health-boosting activities are trendy pursuits, integrated into their lifestyle but not dominating it.
2. Health as a Lifestyle: A more extreme mindset, health becomes the cornerstone of existence, encompassing mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.

This spectrum reflects a broader societal shift towards more conscious and diverse approaches to personal wellness.

A massive derivative of the health meta is social health. You’ve likely seen this come to life in the trendy experiences flooding your social media feeds; run clubs, Hyrox competitions, yoga/pilates, pickleball, padel, and five-a-side football. Brands are catching on fast and positioning themselves as facilitators of health as a lifestyle by creating wellness experiences.

The wellness revolution is reshaping brand strategies, with mental health at the forefront. Brands that authentically align with these movements are crafting meaningful connections with consumers. Trust is cultivated via a blend of online initial interplay and real-world interactions.

88% of people state that authenticity is key when deciding which brands to consume and engage with and 78% of consumers (and 88% of Gen Z) agree a brand’s social media presence has a larger impact on whether or not they trust a brand than traditional advertising. Modern consumers prioritize brands that foster genuine relationships across both digital and physical realms, aligning with the elevation of authenticity as an unprecedented importance. 

The wellness economy is surging. For example, the city of Miami will be the new home to a $650M luxury development and membership community, built by The Well. Talk about a city with a major cultural and lifestyle shift in the works. 

The wellness real estate market is projected to reach $887.5 billion by 2027, according to The Global Wellness Summit. This rapidly expanding sector reflects a growing consumer demand for living spaces that prioritize health and well-being. The Well is a brand wasting no time networking with hospitality partners to capitalize. 

As this niche within the economy surges, brands are pivoting from setting goals of product sales to lifestyle creation. It’s about crafting a dynamic, aspirational ethos that resonates with people’s desires and values. Brands that embrace this cultural shift and offer holistic wellness experiences will not only survive but rather, thrive.

Case Studies: Brands Winning at In-Person Fitness Communities

There are several brands that stand out in the market thanks to their increased attention towards physical communities and the health meta.

Red Bull

When you think of Red Bull, what do you visualize? Is it an energy drink? Or is it the F1 race car, cliff jumping diving board, the helmet of a skydiver, the logo on a mountain at the XGames? For me, it’s certainly not the aluminum can. Red Bull’s strategic use of fitness and sporting activations has been instrumental in its transformation from an energy drink company to a global lifestyle brand.

The brand’s intentional approach to in-person activations has allowed them to evolve into a household name and expand credibility universally through the following strategies:

Targeting Niche Sports

Red Bull’s initial focus on extreme sports like motocross, skateboarding, surfing, and BMX in underserved markets brilliantly mirrored the essence of their actual product, an energy drink. By establishing a strong presence in these niche areas, the brand not only built a unique identity but also embodied its promise of “giving you wings” and pushing boundaries. This approach allowed the brand to create an authentic connection between its product and the daring, adrenaline-fueled lifestyle of extreme sports enthusiasts.

Creating Original Events

The company has developed numerous proprietary sporting events, such as the FlugTag, Red Bull Cliff Diving, and Red Bull King of the Air Kiteboarding. These events generate excitement and media attention, reinforcing Red Bull’s association with adventure and pushing limits.

Record-Breaking Initiatives

In 2012, RedBull rewrote the guide for brand marketing when they went to space to beat the longest free fall in history. The brand consistently pushes athletes and inspires others in their community to break records.

Expanding into the Mainstream

Over time, the brand broadened its scope to include more conventional sporting activities such as soccer, basketball, and Formula One racing. The expansion helped increase brand reach and solidify a strong global presence.

Content Creation & Brand Expansion

Rebull’s strategic move to develop into sports allowed them to become a content creator, producing highly shareable, entertaining content around extreme sports and daredevil stunts. This approach transformed the brand’s recognition from a beverage brand into a media conglomerate.

Adapting to Local Markets

From the jump, the brand clearly communicated its goal of establishing a global image. Red Bull went a step further and tailored its sporting activations to resonate with local cultures and preferences in each market they enter. Their “Flugtag” event, meaning “flying day” in German, challenges participants to build homemade, human-powered flying machines and launch them off a pier into the water. This specific sporting activation has since been curated to resonate with other cultures within Singapore, the United States, and Australia.

Red Bull has cracked the code. Their identity transcends its product category by leveraging sporting (fitness) activations to interact with different communities and facilitate social bonding over extreme, jaw-dropping moments. The decision to step outside of product development and into elevating in-person communities has not only made them a household name but has also sold over 10 billion cans annually, generating revenues exceeding $8 billion.This solidifies their position as a global icon in both the beverage industry and the world of sports and entertainment.  

While Red Bull pioneered the strategy of leveraging extreme fitness and local cultural events to build a global brand, a new wave of fitness-focused companies is now creating in-person communities to boost brand awareness and tap into the health meta trend. Brands like Bandit Running, Nike, and Alo have been at the forefront of this movement, fostering shared experiences that resonate with health-conscious consumers tapped into the lifestyle.

Bandit Running

Bandit Running, founded in 2020, has quickly become a key player in the running apparel sector by emphasizing their community-first lens. The brand has established a strong presence in New York City, collaborating with local running clubs and hosting fitness events straight out of their retail locations.

The initial concept centered around changing the visual face of running apparel. Founders Tim and Nick West grew up deep in the New Jersey skater/surfer culture. With their passionate appreciation for brands born out of subculture communities, they wanted to tap into and transform the NYC running subculture, which was spreading like wildfire during the pandemic. They distinguished themselves as a running community built for people with strong ambition, rather than the existing social or performance-based communities. “The Goal-Driven Runner.”

To drive home just how pivotal community is to Bandit, co-founder Nick West stated that community is the product. They built a brand around a community, not a community around an existing brand. Strategies they’ve implemented to expand the community include:

• Highlighting local NYC runners outside of their “runner identity” on social media channels
• Inviting members to their office to capture sentiment and anecdotes about the community 
• Producing pop-ups at marathons across the country
• Designing marathon training programs
• Continuing the operation of their original run club in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
• Opened a coffee x runner shop in the West Village of Manhattan 

Bandit Running’s unique origin story and ability to 1) identify a community, 2) identify their needs/desires, and 3) elevate the member journey by delivering more impactful, personalized interactions has skyrocketed their brand and further exemplifies how creating shared, in-person experiences can drive brand loyalty and awareness.

Nike

In the same vein, iconic American brand Nike has caught on to the increasing need and desire for in-person communities. In this case, the community they were seeking to entertain needed to sprout from their product-driven brand. 

They established Nike Run Club (NRC) to support runners of all fitness levels, including in-person group runs across 40 different cities worldwide. This extension of the brand provides individuals with social connections, participation in global challenges, leadership opportunities, and a chance to chase more achievement in their lives.

More recently, Nike launched a new 2025 brand strategy, “Nike After Dark Tour,” a women’s nighttime race series. With declining stock and increasing competition blooming with brands like Hoka and On, Nike is attempting to return to their core – athlete storytelling and community engagement.

The tour empowers women through strategic nighttime running events in major cities worldwide. This innovative series addresses a universal concern among female runners: safety after dark. By creating a secure, vibrant environment for nocturnal runs, Nike not only tackles a pervasive issue but also facilitates a powerful sense of community among female athletes. The tour transforms a common fear into an exhilarating, shared experience, blending fitness, in-person community, and female empowerment.

Additional Brand Examples of Successful Community Events

Nike’s approach aligns with the broader health meta trend, where brands are creating multi-faceted, experiential in-person spaces to engage consumers. In the above case study, Bandit’s NYC flagship exemplifies this by combining a run club, coffee shop, and retail store all into one.

On Running has embraced this strategy as well with their Track Nights, merging athletic competition with festival-like atmospheres. Lululemon has stepped up too, adopting this approach by organizing an ultramarathon fostering community among female runners to push their boundaries. 

Similar to Red Bull in the beverage product-space, Michelob ULTRA, an alcoholic beverage brand, tapped in as well. The brand launched an in-person and digital unique event series that combines boxing workouts with live music performances. Their “Boxing Experience Tour” took place across multiple cities in the U.S. and appealed to those looking to create social connections and experience a unique community in real life.

What Not to Do: Alo Yoga

However, not all brands stepping into the game of community building are finding success. Within the last few years, Alo Yoga applied significant pressure to their marketing efforts to drive home their well-known exclusivity and luxury positioning. The main pursuit out of this shift was their “Alo Yoga Studio.” In an attempt to build unique collaborations and community with high-profile celebrities and social media influencers, the “invite only” exclusive gym concept inadvertently created promotion of elitism.

The major miss of this strategy is that GenZ demands relatability. This rising generation in the marketplace is demanding authenticity, inclusion, and connection. By prioritizing exclusivity over inclusivity, Alo Yoga squandered a transformative opportunity to democratize wellness and build a truly expansive fitness in-person community.

Overall, we’re seeing a larger shift toward immersive brand experiences, and the brands that are succeeding understand that modern consumers seek more than just products – they crave authentic connections, shared experiences, and a sense of belonging within a community of like-minded individuals.

Technology’s Role in Building Fitness Communities

Wearable technology, AI agents, and mobile apps are optimizing the membership experiences of physical communities and creating engaging, personalized, and socially connected fitness experiences.

Technologies like Strava empower fitness-focused communities by enabling progress tracking, achievement sharing, and friendly competitions, which allows a brand to encourage accountability and connection between brand community members. 

Brands like Bandit Running leverage Strava’s user-friendly interface to create “Clubs,” digital spaces that act as an extension of the previously created, in-person community connections. These branded “Clubs” help support easy member recruitment, showcase real-time community activities in a feed, lifetime community stats, and host ongoing fitness challenges. 

Some brands have the opportunity to imbed social connectivity into their modern health and fitness tech, with community-driven features to transform individual wellness journeys into collective experiences. For instance, Oura Ring introduced “Circles” in 2023, allowing users to share their daily Readiness, Sleep, and Activity scores with up to 20 friends in customizable groups.

Similarly, Apple Watch users can share their activity data and workouts with friends, encouraging friendly competition and accountability. Other fitness apps like Freeletics and Peloton have also incorporated robust social connectivity features, including community feeds, training groups, and the ability to send virtual encouragement.

These social elements not only enhance user engagement but also drive home the brand’s attention to crafting community and support. These strategic moves transform solitary fitness routines into shared experiences that keep users motivated for more.

Technology should enhance, not replace, your brand’s community — serving as a dynamic extension of the physical connection and shared experiences of members. By integrating tech into the strategy, brands can create more meaningful, accessible, and engaging community interactions that transcend the traditional boundaries.

Measuring Success and Scaling Your Community

76% of consumers wish their favorite brands had a community. This should signal to brands that they have a massive opportunity to meet consumer desires and differentiate themselves in the market via an extension of the brand. By creating genuine, in-person communities, brands can tap into this unmet need, acting as a bridge for deeper connections and potentially gaining competitive edge. However, building a community is just the first step; measuring its impact is crucial for ongoing success and optimization.

Here are five key performance indicators (KPIs) to consider when evaluating the success of your branded, in-person community:

1. Membership Retention Rate: This measures the percentage of members who remain active over a given period, indicating customer satisfaction and investment in the community. 
2. Average Activation Attendance: Tracking attendance for in-person activations, whether it’s a run, fund-raising event or challenge. This helps gauge member engagement and the popularity of different offerings. 
3. Net Promoter Score (NPS): This metric measures member satisfaction and loyalty, indicating how likely members are recommending your fitness community to others.
4. Community Satisfaction Scores: Regular surveys can assess members’ sense of belonging, satisfaction with the community, and overall experience. 
5. Conversion Rate from Membership to Additional Services: This measures how effectively the community drives sales of the brand’s OG products or services. 

As brands navigate building in-person, fitness/wellness communities to drive further brand investment, they need to consider 1) the delicate balance between creating intimate yet inclusive experiences, 2) technology emerging as a powerful ally in enhancing these shared experiences, and 3) the accelerating trend that is the Health Meta and how physical experiences where wellness and fitness is top priority have a psychological and social force that inspires further brand growth and loyalty.

The post Leveraging Physical Wellness Experiences to Drive Brand Loyalty: Transforming Customers into Community appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.

Why LinkedIn Marketing Matters

Let’s start with the facts:

• Over 1 billion people are members of LinkedIn, spanning across 200 countries/regions.
• 49 million people on the platform are job searching.
• LinkedIn launched in 2003, making it the oldest remaining social media platform.
• The premium subscriptions are up 55% year-over-year.
• 16.2% of US members are active on the platform every day.
• 40% of LinkedIn users engage organically with a page each week.

The numbers speak for themselves, but LinkedIn’s unique position as a professional social network sets it apart. With its vast membership, LinkedIn offers brands an enormous reach to an audience of decision-makers, industry experts, and engaged professionals actively seeking insights, products, and partnerships.

The following is your playbook to begin a LinkedIn marketing strategy for your brand, covering everything from optimizing your profile and company page to building an engaged community and positioning your brand as a thought leader. You’ll learn how to craft a content strategy that drives engagement, leverage LinkedIn’s unique features, amplify success through employee advocacy, and track performance for continuous growth.

Laying the Foundation: Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile & Company Page

Before you begin executing your content strategy, you should create a rock-solid profile. Brand identity must be seamless. Begin with the essentials: a profile photo, bio banner, and headline that represents your brand as a whole.

Scrolling down the profile, you’ll see the “Overview” section. This is prime real-estate. Leverage this space to craft a memorable narrative around your brand. It’s often the first impression LinkedIn users have of your brand, so, rather than just listing historical facts or inputting a generic summary, let your personality shine. By the time users scroll down to read the overview, the story you write may make or break their desire to follow or contact you.

Your “Featured” section is another way to impress users scrolling your profile. Here you can highlight top pieces of content, featured articles, links, videos, or other media that showcases your brand’s mission, expertise, and people.

Pro Tip: take advantage of creating thumbnails for each featured asset to strengthen visual branding cohesion even further. Adding these extra details is worth it since maintaining brand consistency across all media makes your profile instantly recognizable, building trust with viewers.

Next, turn on “Creator Mode” in the “Resources” section of your profile. This feature triggers certain profile changes, increases discoverability, and provides access to more sharing tools and advanced analytics. Some of the valuable features include:

• Automatic followers through Connection requests
• Addition of topically relevant hashtags in your “About” section
• Ability to add an introduction link to drive traffic to your site or events
• Eligibility to be featured as a suggested creator
• Access to LinkedIn Live, Audio Events, and Newsletters
• Gain insights with advanced post and audience analytics

Finally, authenticity is your best asset. This goes for both building your profile and executing content strategy. A compelling profile reflects the brand’s true values while addressing the needs and interests of your audience that your brand can solve.

Other LinkedIn features to utilize and strengthen your profile include:

• Filming A Cover Story – a short video that plays when someone visits your profile page.
• Hiring Frames – address and promote more talent leads.
• Name Pronunciation – record display your name pronunciation live on profile.

Crafting a Content Strategy That Drives Engagement

Define Your Goals and Set Clear Objectives

Start by identifying up to three key objectives for your LinkedIn content strategy. Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, community building and/or establishing thought leadership, your goals should be specific and measurable. Align these objectives with overarching business outcomes to ensure your content delivers tangible value.

KPIs to Measure Success

Define metrics to track progress, such as follower growth, average impressions, lead generation, engagement rate and/or Click-Thru Rate (CTR). For example, if brand awareness is your goal, focus on metrics like impressions, shares and profile visits; for driving traffic, source which pieces of content are producing peak clicks via CTR and link tracking. Clear KPIs keep your strategy focused and performance transparent.

Who Is Your Audience? What Do They Want or Need?

Identify who you’re speaking to by outlining your audience as personas; demographics, professional titles, industries, pain points, etc. Consider whether they’re decision-makers, entry-level professionals, or potential hires. Tailor your messaging to address their specific challenges or interests. Understanding what your audience values ensures your content resonates and inspires further engagement.

Creative Content Pillars and Themes

Define 3-5 core content pillars that reflect your brand’s mission, expertise, and audience interests. For example, these could include industry insights, product education, and employee culture. Break these pillars into subcategories to add variety to brand messaging and enable more detailed performance analysis within your content matrix.

Leveraging Content Formats That Boost Reach

Experiment with diverse content formats to find what resonates most with your audience. Leverage LinkedIn’s visual tools — like polls for quick engagement, PDF sliders or carousels for multi-step breakdowns, and branded visuals for cohesive identity — to stop the scroll, boost engagement, and illustrate key points effectively.

Heads up: LinkedIn’s algorithm is constantly changing. It’s crucial to stay on top of changes and announcements. Their latest change claimed to promote knowledge sharing, prioritizing content that offers valuable insights, advice, and expertise on industry specific topics, often niches.

Captivating Copy That Stops the Scroll

Your copy should immediately grab attention. If there’s no hook, you’re going to struggle with engagement. Whether through a compelling question, a controversial statement, or a shocking statistic, use concise, conversational language to keep readers engaged. Blend in clear calls to action (CTAs) that guide your audience toward a desired next step — like leaving a comment or clicking a link.

Consistent Content Publishing Schedule

Consistency builds trust and keeps your brand top of mind. Develop a posting schedule that balances frequency with quality. If you truly want to see growth, aim to post 5x a week. Like other social media platforms, timing is a factor. Test posting times and secure an optimal time when your audience is most active to ensure your content reaches them when they’re more likely to engage.

Timing goes beyond the hour. Strategically schedule content pillars by aligning themes with audience behavior. For example, post lighthearted polls later in the week as audiences unwind; share dense, educational content early in the week when energy for learning is higher.

Encouraging Interaction and Engagement

Incorporate calls to action (CTAs) that naturally invite responses, such as asking for opinions, encouraging DMs, or prompting comments with open-ended questions. The best way to receive natural engagement, for better or for worse, is to be blunt when stating strong opinions on topics that may be slightly controversial.

For example, try tapping into topics like working moms, remote work, salary transparency, Artificial Intelligence, cancel culture, mental health/burnout, etc. Engagement thrives when your content feels like a conversation rather than a speech into the internet abyss.

A/B Testing and Adapting Based on Insights

Run A/B tests on elements like hooks, copy-length, visuals, and posting times for at least two weeks to see what resonates. Analyze the data to identify patterns, and don’t be afraid to pivot your approach. A flexible strategy ensures you’re constantly improving and delivering content that truly engages.

This basic overview of LinkedIn content marketing strategy elements are crucial to establishing and maintaining an engaged audience. Note: Strong engagement will not happen overnight, especially if your brand is not a household name. Be patient. Continue to post consistently and experiment. Once you find what works, take it and replicate it.

Positioning Your Brand as a Thought Leader

The High Stakes of B2B Decision Making

B2B decisions carry a lot of weight. They’re subject to intense scrutiny at times, making decision makers and business leaders desire thought leadership on LinkedIn. These individuals look to credible thought leaders to guide their choices, seek perspectives that provide clarity, solve pressing industry related challenges, or inspire innovative ideas.

Consistently publishing authoritative, actionable content allows brands to position themselves as trusted experts, empowering them to shape and influence high-stake decisions.

Leaders at the top of their game actively self-educate on digital platforms, recognizing the need to stay ahead of industry trends and learn from others’ mistakes. With the constant economic changes and competitive nature of most industries today, decision makers crave smart, snappy, and valuable content. To stand out, your content must address current challenges, showcase unique solutions, and instill confidence in your expertise.

The Three Pillars of Thought Leadership

1. Industry: News, Insights, and Perspectives on the Future

Demonstrate your awareness of the larger market landscape and brand’s ability to anticipate shifts that could impact your audience. Build your brand as a trusted voice. Establish credibility and brand as an innovator.

2. Product: Education, Solutions, and Competitive Edge

Dive deep into your product/service, breakdown features and benefits. Demonstrate how it outperforms competitors. Go beyond promotion; offer real value through tutorials, case studies, or behind-the-scenes looks. Highlighting practical applications reinforces your brand’s expertise and helps decision-makers see your offering as the clear solution to their pain points.

3. Organization: Mission, Values, and the Community Behind the Brand

Showcase the heart of your brand. Share how your mission is integrated into every action of your organization and how the people bring your logo to life. Humanize the brand by emphasizing commitment to culture, ethics and community impact. Share employee stories, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and/or company milestones to build trust and develop authenticity that resonates with both clients and potential talent.

Corporate Thought Leadership vs. Personal Thought Leadership

There are two ways to go about creating thought leadership content on LinkedIn. Ideally, your brand should be executing both.

Personal thought leadership content focuses on individual career experiences while corporate thought leadership reflects a brand’s perspective and milestones.

But don’t be fooled – personal branding is vital at all career levels, whether a CEO, creative intern, or sales associate. Each offers unique value and has the power to influence the perception of a brand.

Tips to Standout

Relevancy is key. If your brand is not actively creating content around and engaging in trending conversations, you’ll be left in the dust. Identify areas with little or no existing content, and fill the white space with your brand’s voice and expertise. Build trust by ensuring your content is rooted in expertise and confidently contributes knowledge.

Finally, be concise. Top-performers across all industries are busy and don’t have time for lengthy posts. Get to the point in an entertaining way and ensure every published piece of content has a clear, intentional message.

Building an Engaged Audience to Create Community

Target audiences are more than consumers – they have interests, challenges, and passions that can be addressed in your content strategy. Don’t forget that they’re multi-faceted. Your brand can lean into personal interests, values, and concerns to plant the seed for deeper, more authentic connections beyond transactions.

The algorithm is your best friend. Get to know it and keep checking in to understand updates and changes from LinkedIn announcements and research. Most recently, the algorithm on LinkedIn has pivoted to favor content that educates and aligns with your brand’s personal expertise. Niche content is becoming more effective than it was 3-4 years ago on the platform. By narrowing your focus and consistently offering valuable insights within your niche, you increase the likelihood of engaging your audience and building credibility in that space.

If your goal is to receive engagement, you won’t achieve this without engaging on the platform yourself. Building a community requires consistent interaction. Respond to comments, acknowledge different perspectives, and tap into relationships with individuals who engage with your content. They took the time out of their day to comment or repost your content. These are the people most likely to become loyal followers and advocate for your brand.

Don’t limit engagement to your own posts. You should be leveraging the audiences of top brand voices on LinkedIn. In the comment sections of industry leaders and/or LinkedIn influencers, you should share expertise, offer a fresh perspective, and express agreement when relevant. This positions you as an engaged member of the community and helps expand your visibility to a wider, relevant audience.

While it’s important to celebrate your brand winning, don’t forget to be strategic in tapping into the conversation of other’s successes. Brands with a strong presence on LinkedIn implement this into their strategy to foster goodwill, strengthen relationships, and encourage reciprocal support within the LinkedIn community.

Leveraging LinkedIn Features to Enhance Reach

LinkedIn’s built-in features were created for a reason. Play around with them. They’re designed to enhance people’s experience on the platform but also play a key role in amplifying your content’s reach. The features offer various ways to connect with your audience, grow your network, and establish thought leadership within your industry.

Carousels

Multiple visuals as one post. Great medium to break down complex concepts, step-by-step guides, or share several examples at once. This is an engaging format that encourages people to swipe through each slide, which increases the time they spend interacting with your post, ultimately boosting its visibility in the algorithm. This feature is particularly effective for sharing educational content, product showcases, or thought leadership insights in a digestible and engaging format.

LI Live Streams

A medium to engage your audience in real-time. Live streaming content enables you to host Q&A sessions, product demos, or industry discussions, fostering direct interaction with your audience. A great way to diversify your content, generate visibility, and build a strong connection with audience members who are invested in your brand.

Polls

Polls are easy to execute and an effective way to engage with and gather your audience’s valuable feedback. They’re interactive, easy to share, and have a high engagement rate, making them an excellent tool for increasing reach and visibility. Polls also give your followers a sense of involvement, which can help build stronger connections with your brand. Engagement hack: The more simple the questions and answers you write, the more engagement you’ll receive. Audiences scrolling through the platform shouldn’t have to think hard about their answer.

Newsletters

Publishing long-form newsletters allows you to dive deeper into your brand’s expertise and trending topics while building credibility. Newsletters allow you to not only reach a larger audience over time but cultivate a dedicated audience that will receive your content directly in their inbox. If your brand currently has a running newsletter, I suggest extracting the most valuable bits and repurposing that content in the form of a snappy LinkedIn post first. If you’re interested in launching a newsletter, I suggest you develop and maintain strong follower growth and engagement first before diving into the goal of newsletter subscriptions.

Video Tab

The video tab is LinkedIn’s most recent venture, if you will. Video content is increasingly prioritized on LinkedIn, as we’ve seen with the success of short-video form content across other social media platforms as well. This tab is a critical tool to enhance engagement for those wanting to receive information or entertainment in a different form. Creating compelling visuals is key. Ask yourself, what will stop the scroll?

Groups/Events

Both of these hubs on the platform offer an opportunity to connect and create conversations within a community of professionals in your industry or with similar interests. Hosting or participating in events takes you a step further in increasing your brand’s visibility.

Collaborative Articles

This feature allows you to work alongside other experts in your field. LinkedIn’s AI identifies trending topics and suggests subjects based on those discussions. Then, the platform invites professionals, those considered thought leaders on those topics, to collaborate and contribute to the article. This not only increases the visibility of your content but also positions you alongside other credible voices in your industry, helping to expand your professional network and reach.

Suggestion: New features often don’t last. Be sure to experiment with new platform features to see if your brand’s audience is receptive and if the algorithm is boosting a specific format. If something is not working, move forward.

Amplifying Success with Employee Advocacy

Employee advocacy is an additional approach to consider when building a content marketing strategy. This tactic encourages employees to engage with and share content surrounding the brand. This supports unique experiences and expertise to amplify the brand’s reach.

When employees interact with company content, whether by commenting, sharing, or contributing their own personalized content, they enhance the authenticity and trustworthiness of the message. As Gen Z enters the workforce, building strong rapport beyond services on social media is increasingly vital.

For example, when employees share behind-the-scenes glimpses of company culture or personal milestones working for a brand, it provides a window into the organization’s values, helping to attract top talent and build stronger relationships with clients. By actively participating, employees become genuine brand ambassadors, expanding the content’s reach to their own networks, which drives both internal and external engagement.

In B2B marketing, decision-makers are more likely to trust content shared by individuals within their networks than corporate-driven, promotional messaging. This makes employee engagement an effective strategy to influence potential clients and partners.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha prioritize authenticity and transparency, favoring real stories and peer recommendations over traditional marketing. Employee advocacy resonates deeply with these younger generations and enhances brand credibility. Embedding this tactic into your LinkedIn strategy will build trust and tap into the growing demand for authenticity on social media.

Strategically Tracking, Measuring, and Refining Your Content

If you’re not actively analyzing performance and making changes, you will not see growth on LinkedIn, no matter how amazing your content is. The algorithm changes frequently, often more than other platforms, so as a creator, it’s crucial to adapt to changes and new priorities across socials to remain competitive.

Tips for Tracking Your Strategy

• Carve out a schedule for regular performance reports — both weekly and monthly — to allow your team to stay aligned and quickly respond to trends, news, or events relevant to your brand.
• Create consistency analyzing metrics: shares, views, engagement rate, competitor strategies, etc. You can identify what’s working, what’s not working, pivot your approach, and refine your goals for sustained growth in follower engagement and brand awareness.
• Analyze your competitors and/or platform influencers. What content formats are performing well? What’s their tone of voice? What are people commenting under their content? Where do they fall short? Are there white-space opportunities for you?

This ongoing process of testing, reviewing, and adjusting ensures that your content remains impactful and relevant. If you’re not invested in the numbers, you’re not invested in your growth.

Sustaining a Malleable Content Marketing Strategy on LinkedIn

To keep your LinkedIn strategy resilient, diversify content formats in your content matrix. Focus on three clear content pillars, such as industry insights, product education, and culture, to ensure variety while maintaining consistency.

Monitor and analyze performance regularly at daily, weekly, and monthly intervals to track engagement, reach, and trends, preparing you well for data-driven refinements. Engage with your audience daily by responding to comments and reacting to posts. Proactive engagement shows that your brand values relationships.

Collaborate with other brands, influencers, and industry leaders to co-create content, host events, or share expertise. Partnerships expand your audience, add variety to your content, and position your brand as a respected voice in the industry.

Stay agile by continuously experimenting, learning from performance data, and adapting to audience preferences and platform trends. You may be surprised by what your audience craves on LinkedIn. Let their engagement guide you to further success on the platform.

A successful LinkedIn marketing strategy is built on adaptability, consistency, and authentic engagement. The hardest part is simply starting.

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